Liam Draxl, the surfer who will debut in the ATP and in his home tournament

Andrés Tomás Rico | 28 Jul 2025 | 21.30

Liam Draxl, the surfer who will debut in the ATP and in his home tournament. Photo: Getty Images.

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Between waves and rackets is where Liam Draxl spends most of his life. The young Canadian tennis player will make his first appearance in an ATP tournament after receiving a wildcard for the ATP Toronto. Despite not having stepped onto a final draw yet, it doesn't mean he lacks experience. In fact, he has accumulated 39 victories on the Challenger circuit, more than anyone in 2025, and comes fresh from claiming the title at the Winnipeg Challenger. So, Pablo Carreño, his first opponent, should not underestimate him.

Besides his passion for tennis, Draxl is a surfing enthusiast ever since his girlfriend introduced him to it on the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia. There, the tennis player found a new 'hobby': "I remember it was one fall after another. Riding a wave and surfing it is a feeling I can't describe. It's quite unreal. Just looking at the face of the wave, seeing the water glide slowly before your eyes, feeling that speed and push the wave gives you, is something very special. Whether they are big or small, fun or long, or even if you fall, it's fun. I love it," he confesses in an interview with ATP.

Between waves and rackets, an opportunity to debut in his home tournament

His love for surfing is such that when he is on vacation and can afford a few days, he takes his board and completely disconnects from tennis: "I'm usually on the ATP app checking out all the results, and I love to see it, but when I'm there, I think: 'Wow, I have no idea what's going on in Washington or at the Bloomfield Hills Challenger.' I was totally disconnected for a few days."

But once he has enjoyed his other great passion, Draxl had to get back to work as he has received a unique gift in the form of a wildcard entry into the main draw of the ATP Toronto. It will be an unforgettable tournament for the world number 113. Not only for debuting in an ATP tournament but also because he will do it in his hometown event, which he has visited so many times as a spectator.

"Every summer, most days I was at the tournament. It was fun hanging out there in the summer with my other tennis friends, playing mini-matches on the courts, mini-tennis, or trying to hit the target. As a child, every summer I attended this tournament and dreamed of being able to play in it, thinking: 'How cool would it be to play in this tournament!'. And here I am, dreams are coming true," confesses the 23-year-old.

But before reaching Toronto and having previously won the Challenger in Winnipeg, Draxl was on a very negative streak of lost finals, a total of six in a row, five this year. However, in his home tournament, he put an end to the bad momentum.

"It was all in my head. After losing three matches, you just want to win one, and it's tough. I had to stop focusing on winning and think: 'Okay, let's play a good match as if it were the first or second round.' I think the pressure decreased a bit in Winnipeg because I thought: 'You know what? I've lost five or six finals, I've already reached the final and lost, so what can I lose if I lose again?'" assures Liam Draxl, who will fulfill his dream of playing in his home tournament.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Liam Draxl, el surfero que debutará en la ATP y en el torneo de su casa